The Chestnut and The Raven
by DanHatesWhales
Summary: Frank has a confusing crush on his best friend big brother, Gerard. With Gerard being the popular kid in school, Will Frank be able to get what he wants? Or is it impossible for the awkward 16 year old to find his place and to fit in? What will Mikey think? This is the story of The Chestnut and The Raven.
1. Welcome to My Life

**The Chestnut and The Raven.**

_"And I remember when I met him it was so clear that he was the only one for me. We both mended right away and as the years went on things got more difficult and we were faced with more challenges. I begged him to stay, try to remember what we had at the beginning. He was charismatic, magnetic, electric, everybody knew him. When he walked in, everyone in the room head's turned. Everyone stood up to talk to him. He was like this hybrid, this mix of man who couldn't contain himself. I always thought the sun was that. He became a completely different person and missing out on all of the opportunities that life could offer a man as magnificent as him. And in that way, I understood him. And I loved him. I loved him, I loved him, I loved him and I still love him."_

—_ Jackie Kennedy Onassis_

Gerard Way.  
A name everyone knew. He wasn't your average 'popular-asshole-jock' guy, but damn... He was something. He got pretty well known a few years back now, he was dating a very popular girl called Melody Harper and for her birthday he painted her on this massive A1 canvas, she said it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen and suddenly all her friends -and all of the school- wanted a bit of the mysterious dark haired artist.

He walks by my locker everyday, his long, shaggy black hair has this gorgeous bounce to it. His porcelain skin glows. I swear to fuck, it actually_ glows_! His emerald green eyes turn a dark hazel in the dim corridors. And as he walks by my locker he does the same routine.

He brushes his hair out of his eyes, puts his hands in the pockets of his ugly maroon school blazer, nods at me and smiles. He comes over, with the most graceful bounce in his step and you can hear the faint click of his pointy Cuban heeled school shoes.

"Hey Frank, Mikey here yet?" He asks every day at exactly 8.05. Mikey doesn't get to school until at least half past.

"Nope, not yet. You know Mikey, he'll still be sleeping!" I laugh nervously, rubbing the back of my neck, whilst avoiding all eye contact.

"You're right, well I'll see you later!" he salutes and twirls away whilst four younger girls giggle and watch a man they will never have a chance with.

Oh, and me. I'm Frank Iero.  
I'll explain the situation before we go any further.  
I've lived next door to the Way family for about 10 years. I'm 16 now, and for the past...  
7 years? 6 maybe? Let's go with 7-  
For the past 7 years I have had the biggest guy crush on Gerard Arthur Way. And I'm not talking about those ones guys get with people they want to be like Johnny Depp or River Phoenix, I mean totally weak at the knees when he passes me. What makes this even **more **awkward is that I'm best friends with his little brother, Mikey- Who is also in my grade in school. I think he knows because he will make little comments when he notices me blush like an idiot, but I don't know if I could ever admit it to anyone.

Gerard is 17 about to turn 18 in April. For as long as I can remember he has never acted like he knows better. Obviously he acts a little older, but he doesn't have that horrible authority thing going on that other older siblings seem to have. Him and Mikey are the best of friends, and I can admit that I am insanely jealous of that fact. But Gerard has always treated me like his little brother too. I can't tell weather to be happy by that, or sad that it's even beyond _'friend-zoning'_.

But yeah, it's March 31st right now and it feels like December. We will be stopping for spring break in a few weeks and along with that comes Gerard's Birthday.  
Big party, booze, drugs?  
You would think with him being this big hot shot that he would have to have a killer 18th?  
Probably not, it might just be me and Mikey over for some pizza and watching back to back horror marathons.  
Which, in my opinion- is way better.

The bell will ring in about two minutes and right on cue I can here the main door opening down the hall and the squelch of a very damp pair of loafers squeaking up the corridor. "Is it raining?" I ask Mikey with a grin on my face.

"We live in Jersey, what the fuck do you think!" he says with a raised eyebrow as he takes of his glasses to clean them from the heavy rain.

"If you ever got up early enough to get the bus you wouldn't have this problem, Michael." I say stuffing my coat into my locker as the bell rings. Mikey asks me to wait on him while he shoves his damp things in a plastic back and grabs his books. Which I do happily because it's funny watching him clamber about in that messy locker of his.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" a breathy voice touches my neck and I jump. Mikey looks up from his locker and I turn round to see Gerard's face a few inches from mine. My heart is going a million miles a minute.  
"We are having the midnight movie marathon on the 11th, Mom and dad leave that night to go to Cancun on their 'second honeymoon' thing. So I'm having a party on the 12th. Is that okay with you guys?"

_'is that okay with you guys?'  
_He is asking our permission to have a party? Oh my god, I can't even take how adorable he is sometimes. Both of us just shrug and nod, knowing that he will do whatever he wants anyway because it's Gerard and once he has an idea he will run with it.

"Great! That's awesome! Oh, and it's a fancy dress theme. I thought about a kind of Halloween twist so people didn't come to overdressed, plus I know you aren't that into parties Frank. And I know you like Halloween and stuff, so I thought it would be more up your street? Oh, fuck there's the bell, well I'll see you guys after school!" he smiles, waves and runs off in the opposite direction.

And he made it Halloween themed. And thought of me? Oh, god.  
Mikey looks at me with raised eyebrows and I can feel my cheeks heating up.

"Put it back in your pants, Frank. He's said he wanted a Halloween party for years." he taunts, punching my shoulder lightly.

"Shut up, I know that!" I say pushing him back and we gather the rest of his things and go to our homeroom to get registered.


	2. Sounds Good

The whole day had been rather uneventful, to say the least.  
Lunch came in pretty quickly and we sat down with our usual friends and spoke about the day that had past. Spaced out around the circular table was Danielle Boyle, Angelica Park, Ashton DeHope and Stuart McIntyre.

Or as wee call them:  
Dan, Angel, Ash and Stu Mac.

Mikey was already sitting down next to Ash when everyone said "Hey Frankie!" in unison. According to Mikey, Gerard had apparently invited all of us to the party. Problem is that most of his older friends will be there too, So naturally we we're all a little nervous- considering we had never actually been to any big high school parties before. Except amongst ourselves.

And I was particularly nervous about this.

Why? I'll take a moment to explain a day in my life.

I go to school,  
I come home,  
do my homework,  
play guitar,  
go over to Mikey's,  
Either have dinner with them and go home about 10.30 or have dinner at my house and play guitar until I go to bed.

Yeah, I'm not very extroverted, to say the least..

And it makes the whole 'Gerard' thing even more complicated because I barely know how to talk around him. Mikey always makes fun of me for getting flustered with words infront of people. He usually makes up jokes about me liking Gerard, but if he actually knew... God, I don't know what his reaction would be!

I look around the table and listen to the conversations going on, taking in little details from everyone.

Dan is usually always beside Angel, her cheeks flush with red whenever she brushes against her. Though you could hardly tell behind those massive glasses she never takes off. The silver flashes of light hitting off her braces give her smile a funny little spark that never fails to cheer me up. She's always hunched over and her blazer looks as if it's drowning her, though I've never seen her in anything that actually fits her properly. I don't think she owns a woman's tshirt if I'm honest. Her short, bright red hair always hangs in a messy frame around her small face. If you look at her and Mikey together sometimes, they look like they are brother and sister.

Angelica is a proper Angel, just as her name suggests. She's curvy but slim. I've never seen this girl look bad a day in my life. She usually wears low cut shirts and pretty small skirts but she's never been the 'slutty teenage girl' type thing. She's incredibly smart and sexy. Her soft blonde hair curls down to her lower back. Her tanned skin next to Dan actually makes her look foreign (considering Dan looks unwell every fucking day she is that pastey and white.) She's not exactly who you would imagine to hang around with us, but trust me- No one is complaining.

Mikey is almost always listening to music. If you watch him whilst he's talking to someone you can see his fingers going along to the bass of the music. His hair tucked under his heavy framed glasses, they always seem to slide down his nose and he tilts his head up to look through them, which I'll admit is pretty cute.  
(I'm not gay, okay? I just have a thing for his brother...)

Anyway,  
Ash will be caught playing on his Gameboy, or DS, or PSP or gaming device of some kind. He's pretty tanned considering he never goes outside. The name Ash works out pretty well since I think he is the only person I know to fill his Pokedex on Pokemon Red and Blue. But yeah, he has the darkest bags under his eyes that I've ever seen, I swear this boy gets about three hours sleep, maximum! He has recently dyed his hair blue. That'll change within the week.

Stu is the more approachable one of us, shall I say? He is pretty handsome, polite, charismatic..(again, I'm not gay.) But he was the nicest guy on the planet. If there was ever anything I couldn't tell Mikey, I'd tell Stu. He always knew exactly what to say and how to cheer you up. Him and Mikey would regularly have bass battles in music which would always make me laugh. His dark, curly hair was still a little damp from the rain but he was looking as cheery as ever with his warm little smile. He kept making eye contact with Angel, and we all thought they had something going on. But practically everyone except Angel knows that Dan likes her, and Stu would never do that to her.

And then you get to me. I'm the shortest out of all my friends. Even the girls are taller than me.  
I'm 5ft 4". I have a slightly chubby face and I have quite long, messy brown hair. I play guitar. That's me, summed up.

Almost all my friends aren't half bad looking and then you have me. Who just so happens to like the most flawless guy in school, of all things! I mean, how unfair is that? If it was Angel she could wrap him around her finger and that would be it. But no, let's make _Faggoty Frankie _like a guy that he has no hope in hell with.

Back to the conversation-  
Last time I listened in they were talking about consumes for the party. I'm not the most creative person, so I decide to hang back and let them talk about it.

"I'M GOING TO BE THE VERY BEST! LIKE NO ONE EVER WAAAAAS! Oh my god, I'm going to be Ash Ketchum! It'll be sweet!" ash said far, far to excited.

"I'm going to be a belly Dancer, I love those cute little gypsy outfits. They are to die for, don't you think?" Angel giggled.

"I think I might go as Ariel from The Little Mermaid. That would be pretty cool, I think.." Dan smiled awkwardly, twiddling her thumbs and looking at the floor.

"I don't have any money... Fuck it, I'll be Alan Wake, that'll do right?" Stuart asked, Ash and Dan nodded in approval.

"Hmm... I'll probably go as that dude from Saving Private Ryan... I have some of my dads old army gear, what about you Frank?" Mikey asked me, I was a little stunned to say the least as I'm not the best at thinking on my feet.

"I.. I'm not sure. I might rip up some clothes and be a zombie?" I shrugged

"Original or Remake of Night of the living dead?" he quizzed, to which I shrugged before he got into a big horror movie spiel.

I saw Gerard sitting chatting with a curly haired dude and some snobby chick which he seems to be completely ignoring. He talks with his hands a lot, really into everything he says. He's so creative and passionate and... Everything, really. He takes a bite out of his apple and glances over at me. Once he catches my gaze he nods and winks.

It feels like butterflies from my tummy had flew up into my chest and exploded. This man is responsible for tiny bits of butterfly guts and wings covering my ribcage. Okay, that metaphor was pretty gruesome but you catch my drift.

I try and focus back into the conversation of the moment but I actually can't. You think I'm over exaggerating, well here is proof. From two seconds of eye contact I can't concentrate in a simple conversation.

_'Wow, Iero. You've truly outdone yourself this time.' _

The bell rings and we scramble to gather our books and papers before class. We were in biology next which I couldn't be bothered with at all. I was with Angel though, so I'd have someone to talk to. Then music last with Dan, Stu and Mikey. The best combination ever.

Biology seemed to drag on, we had a substitute teacher which meant we could sit and do fucking anything we wanted. Angel was playing with her hair and going on and on about nonsense. "-I mean, he's hot and everything. But he doesn't seem that interested in me, it's as of he's holding back. I'm not sure if he likes me or not, what do you think?" she asked.

My mind was occupied by the nauseating thought of this party. That many people in one room was enough to make my head spin.

"sorry, who are we talking about again?" I blinked coming back into reality.

"Stuart? I was asking about- ugh, forget it." she seemed annoyed.

"sorry, I was just thinking about this party. I'm really nervous.." I admitted half heartedly.

"...is it because you like Dan?" she attempted a whispered, just as loud -if not louder- than normally talking.

"What, No! Where the fuck did you get that idea from?"

"well, you were staring and blushing at her today. I just gathered.." she shrugged.

I cast my kind back to the sitting order of the Lunch table, Dan had been sitting in line with Gerard's seat on the other side of the room.

"For Christ sake, I wasn't staring at her!" I spat defensively.

"who was it then?" her eyes bulged as she assumed she was getting some gossip.

But, luckily the bell rang out over her. I grabbed my books and ran downstairs, I couldn't believe how close that was. Music would surely ease the tension of this party thing.

I walked down the corridors staring at my feet when I suddenly felt the collision of my body against someone else's who I had just knocked to the floor. When I focused I noticed it was Dan. Her glasses were smashed in one lens and her books where all over the floor. Stu and I helped pick up her books and Mikey helped her into her feet. If I had counted the amount of times I apologised I'd be on about 50. But she excused it and shrugged it off with a smile like she usually does.

Music I could really let myself go and enjoy every minute. I would rock out to Black Flag and The Smashing Pumpkins. Mikey would be playing along to The Smiths and Misfits. Stu would be playing Blink 182 or Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Dan would be playing some obscure ukulele shit. It was just amazing.

When the bell rang through the halls there was a sea of bodies as people pushed and shoved to get out of the crowded school halls I had to wait on Mikey before we met up with Gerard to get a ride home. Both brothers made there way over to me before making a quick get away through the large metal doors. When they get into Gerard's slightly dirty Subaru they start talking about their day and comics and video games and stuff, everything really. And I mean _everything_. They are so close it's unreal. We get home quicker than I would like though.

Before we all scramble out, Gerard turns to me and says "why don't I take you to school too, Frank? I mean, it'll save waiting on that bus?"

My heart was in my throat as I nodded. "Sounds good.."

"Great, I'll be over first thing tomorrow! Be ready for me." He said with a smile.  
He then got out the car, as did I. Mikey asked what time I'd be over and I just said the usual time. I then burst through my front dorr, ran into my room and tried to calm myself down.

Holy fuck.


	3. Much too Short, Far Too Long

When I woke that morning it felt like there was this toxic wave of nausea swept over my half naked body. The thought of being alone in that car with him was enough to make me catch my breath a little. I mean, sure I talk to Gerard on a daily basis, but damn.. I don't think I've ever been that close to him without Mikey.

As I brushed my teeth and ruffled my hair I looked at myself hard in the mirror. My skin was fair, a little darker now that the spring sunshine was starting to come out, i found myself rubbing my jaw which was a little more squared than I remember. I looked at the folded laugh lines around my mouth. My eyes were slightly creased at the outer corners, bags dark and heavy sat underneath the hazel of my eyes. My skin itself was looking older, I stroked my chin feeling a tiny stubble from my last shave. The feeling of manliness was extremely satisfying. Until I heard the knock on the door, to which my manliness shrieked like a little girl and hid away in a titanium box never to be seen again.

I brushed myself down and buttoned up my school trousers before answering the door. A small part of me prayed that Mikey would be up in time to come with us, but my mind quickly rejected the false hope and I told myself that it would never happen anyway. Sure enough, there stood Gerard in all his glory. One hand in his pocket and one hand waving 'good morning' at me. I couldn't quite take him seriously with that little dash of blue paint on his cheek. He looked like he hadn't slept at all last night, the bags under his eyes were even worse than mine. His porcelain white skin was dull looking. Those emerald eyes sunken, his iris was filled with a tired green and brown mixture that I had never really noticed before.

Even his eye colour was fluid. It could change as fast as Gerard did. This boy could look one way for a day then change completely the next. It was something his creative side done every now and then. He described it as "I am my canvas. I will portray myself however I see fit. I wouldn't want to paint the same picture everyday, I'd get bored looking at it. So why should I make other people look at the same boring thing over and over?"  
I love how even something as simple as that can confuse me. I mean, I understand the analogy of the painting and himself and that shit. But I cannot for the life of me imagine what it would be like to live like that. As much as I would love to be extroverted and loud and bold... I'm not. I've never really tried, if I'm honest. But I'd probably fuck it up anyway. I've looked the exact same everyday for the past 5 year, I want to change, I just don't know how. I looked back at Gerard, he was wearing the same thing as yesterday.

"Ready to go?" he smiled as he looked over in the direction of the Silver Subaru Shitheap.

I just nodded, grabbed my books and headed for the car. A part of me was screaming to get the bus, the other part of me was anxiously dying to get into the small vehicle of intense 'school-girl-crush' awkwardness. As I went to climb into the back seat he laughed outwardly before saying "what? Do I smell so bad that you don't want to sit next to me?"  
I blush at my first blunder of the day and clamber into the front passenger seat, my cheeks a hue of rosey pink already. He rolls down my window from his controls beside him, I glance over and he presses the back of his hand against my forehead.

"You are really warm, are you feeling okay?" he asks seeming really concerned- making my breath catch in my throat.

"Yeah, I'll be fine..." I look at my feet as I wiggle my toes in my shoes.  
'say something!' I shout at myself in my head.  
"So, uh- You look the same as yesterday?"  
'Oh my fucking _god_, Frank. Why did you just say that? You can't say that to him he will take offence, you idiot.'

He scoffed a laugh and shook his head. "not much sleep last night, I was painting."

The car was suddenly filled with an awkward silence. He asked questions about life at home which I answer all one worded. I didn't want to sound like I wasn't interested, but it was difficult to talk to him, what was I supposed to say? I could tell he was out of things to say when he put his Misfits cassette into the ancient tape deck that was barely working by the looks of it. I watched him as he started singing along to Astro Zombies. God, his voice...

I don't know if I've mentioned, but Gerard can sing. And by sing, I mean sing! We both live in detached cottage type houses in your typical suburban neighbourhood. Our houses are beside one another, my bedroom window directly looks onto Gerard and Mikey's shared bedroom. Whenever Gerard isn't drawing in the basement/'art studio' he is in his room singing. He does this with the window open, and as soon as I see him enter the room I open my window.

Creepy, I know. But if you heard him you would understand.

Anyway, Gerard pauses for a minute before smiling a crooked smile my way.

"so, figured out what you are wearing to the party yet? It's only a few weeks away. I'm going as a vampire!" He revealed with the enthusiasm of a ten year old child. Of course he was going to be a vampire, he is fucking mad about the things. Any excuse to dress as one he will take. Me on the other hand, I just shrugged and mumbled to myself.

"I was going to go as a zombie, I think. I'm not sure, if I'm honest.." I sighed. My costume was going to be shit anyway, so no point getting excited about it. Gerard, on the other hand, he seemed very excited. Too excited infact! He went off on the same tangent Mikey did.

"night of the living dead style?!"

I couldn't tell wether the journey had been far to short or agonisingly long in the awkwardness but either way I was a little relieved once we reached the school. We were here really early and there weren't many people here. Gerard seen his friends and waved me off before heading in the opposite direction. And before I could stop myself-

"I'll see you later, Gee!" I shouted after him.  
Oh my god. I just called him Gee... Did he notice? Only Mikey calls him that, it just sounds weird coming from me.

He turned his head to look over his shoulder and he smiled warmly.  
"I'll see you later, Frankie!" His voice melting like honey.

...He called me_ Frankie_.

Once I get out of my daze I look over to find Dan and Angel at their lockers and they seem to be in deep conversation. Danielle always looks so dazed and far away, god knows what's going on in that girls mind half of the time. But she's always in tune when it comes to Angel. Who, at the moment- seems to be having a crisis. I walked over to see what all the hullabaloo was about.

"- So not only are my shoes a totally different shade, my dress barley even covers my ass! Like, I paid $47 for this much material?! And that's not the worst of it, Stuart won't even- oh, hey Frankie!" Angel waved excitedly.

Danielle looked like she was still half asleep when she clocked Frankie. "why are you here so early?" She asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"I got a lift down, Gerard took me." I said a little too cheerily. My cheeks flushing as I notice how excited I sounded.

Angel's eyes rolled back into her skull as she groaned "oh my god! Could you imagine being in that car with him. He is actually so fucking, oh my god!" she exclaimed as she ran her hands through her hair. Danielle also blushed, but I doubt it was for the same reason.

I walked to my locker and stuffed my jacket and bag into it as normal. I decided to go and hand my homework in early to pass time before Mikey would stumble through the doors. Today was our last day in school before we stopped for our holidays.

It was April 1st, our school always starts spring break a little later. Most schools around here start around 25th of march. My parents are taking me on a trip to some little country house. Dad said I could take my acoustic as long as I don't play after 10 o'clock. I could guarantee that even with my guitar and cell phone it would be shit.


End file.
